Jack Napier
Jack Napier was the man who murdered Batman's parents in Batman. He later fell into a vat of toxic waste and became The Joker. Biography ''Batman Early life In his younger years, Jack Napier turned to a life of violent crime. One night, his partner mugged Bruce Wayne's parents, Thomas and Martha. When Thomas interceded to protect his family, Jack stepped from the shadows and shot both him and Martha in cold-blooded murder. Jack pulled the hammer back on his gun and pointed it next at Bruce. Jack asked the frightened boy "Have you ever danced with the Devil by the pale moon light?". Before Jack could fire, his panicked partner urged him to leave. Jack decided to spare the boy and left, saying "See you around, kid." Grissom's Number One Guy Jack Napier was the narcissistic right-hand man of Boss Carl Grissom. Napier was having an affair with Grissom's girlfriend, Alicia Hunt, prompting the jealous crime lord to set his right-hand man up to be killed by the corrupt police officer Lt. Eckhardt at Axis Chemicals. However, Grissom's plan went awry thanks to intervention by both Batman and Commissioner James Gordon. After killing Eckhardt and then catching a ricocheted bullet in the face, Napier tumbled into a vat of chemicals. Although Napier survives, the chemicals wreak a horrible toll: his hair is dyed green, his skin is bleached chalk white, and a botched attempt at reconstructive surgery severs critical facial nerves, leaving him with an eternal "smile." The Joker After his mind completely snapped after seeing his smile, he assumes his new identity as the Joker, he kills Grissom and takes over the gangster's empire, engaging in a violent, chaotic crime spree, the motive being to "outdo" Batman, who he feels was getting too much press. He also tries to woo ''Gotham Globe reporter Vicki Vale. When Bruce Wayne learns about the Joker, he recalls that his parents were murdered by Jack Napier, realizing that the Joker is indirectly responsible for the origin of Batman. Death and Legacy Batman used a grappling hook to tie Joker's ankle to a large, heavy gargoyle in an attempt to capture him. But Batman sealed the Joker's fate when it came loose. Unable to break free from the heavy burden of the gargoyle, the Joker fell screaming to his death. Commissioner Gordon came upon Napier's body, hearing a repeated laugh. He reached into Napier's coat and pulled out a laugh box that had been activated after the landing. ''Batman Forever The memory of the traumatic murder of Bruce Wayne's parents at the hands of Jack Napier would continue to haunt he for years, eventually leading him to get psychiatric help from Dr. Chase Meridian. Bruce also stopped killing criminals, and explains to young Dick Grayson that if you kill once and you cross that line, there's no going back, advising him not to avenge the death of his parents as he did murdering Jack Napier. Relationships *The Joker - Villian identity. *Carl Grissom - Boss. *Batman - Archenemy. *Harvey Dent - Enemy. *James Gordon - Enemy. *Mayor Borg - Enemy. *Alicia Hunt - Lover. Appearances/Actors *Burtonverse (2 films) **Batman'' (First appearance) - Jack Nicholson and Hugo Blick **''Batman Forever'' (flashback only) - David U. Hodges Trivia * Director Tim Burton offered a somewhat different origin for Joker's real name, and at the same time made him part of Batman's origin. Jack Napier, the surname of actor Alan Napier, who had played Alfred in the 1960s series, and the first name of Jack Nicholson, the actor who played Joker. *Napier appears once again in Batman Forever in a flashback similar to the one in the 1989 film as he kills Bruce's parents. Gallery ''Batman'' & Batman Forever 1240601086.jpg|Threatening at Bruce's parents Hugo.jpg Btmn_0855.jpg| Batman-Forever-batman-forever-23669593-640-384.png|Napier in Batman Forever JackNapier.jpg|Jack Napier before his accident. Napier and Batman.jpg|Batman confronts Napier in Axis Chemicals. Vicki and Joker.jpg|The Joker visits Vicki in her apartment. Vicki and Joker1.jpg|Vicki and the Joker in the church. Vicki and Joker2.jpg|Vicki forced to dance with the Joker. MK Batman and Joker.jpg|Batman confronts the Joker. 1988619402 391b294533.jpg See Also *The Joker (Martinsonverse) *The Joker (Nolanverse) *The Joker (animated canon) }} Category:Batman Characters Category:Batman (1989) Characters Category:Batman Forever Characters Category:Villains Category:Burtonverse Deceased Category:Crimelords Category:Henchmen